


Beyond the Garden

by kateliz



Series: Garden [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Magic, Multi, Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:14:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29474538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kateliz/pseuds/kateliz
Summary: It's Post-War and Draco, Harry, and the gang are settling into their Eighth Year of Hogwarts, Draco with the intention of going onto a Healer's apprenticeship post-school. Follow along as Draco and Harry's relationship continues in peace time, not without having to confront some ghosts of the past. This is a continuation of Before the Garden and Beyond: read that before heading here!
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/James Potter
Series: Garden [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/586387
Kudos: 11





	Beyond the Garden

Draco could not believe he was returning to Hogwarts alongside the other students who had made it out of the war alive. It was a miracle, really, after all they had been through that he, Harry, Blaise, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were quietly sharing a carriage ride approaching the castle. They all were a little worse for wear, with Harry still so thin from the rotting curse placed upon him in the final battle, Hermione’s scarred arm courtesy of Draco’s aunt, Blaise with his walking stick, trying to get back up to par after a core splitting hex, Draco and his two-toned eyes, and Ron and Ginny bearing the crushing weight of sibling loss, but they had made it out the other side and were ready to move on.

Ron didn’t want to go back at first. When the time came to decide, he said he’d rather chew his right arm off than return to the place that held so much pain, but George coaxed him into finishing school, even though George himself never completed his education.

_“Why can’t I just work in the shop with you?” Ron asked a few nights before their departure._

_George sighed. “You’re better than the shop, Ron. You should finish school. You have so many options.”_

_Ron frowned. “I don’t want to go back—I don’t want to live where everything happened.”_

_“I get it—trust me, I do. But there’s no use hiding, Ron. We have to move forward and confront this. Besides, Ginny is dead set on returning.”_

_“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”_

_“You’re her big brother. You should go back and look after her. I don’t want her to be alone there, do you?”_

_Ron sighed. “You’re right.”_

_“Aren’t I always?” George joked, but there was no mirth in his eyes. “Take care of her.”_

_Ron nodded. “I will.”_

And that was that. Still, the frown was firmly attached to his face as they drew nearer to the castle, not ready to face the ghosts of the final battle that waited inside its doors.

Hemione had a firm grip on his hand. Ginny was leaning on Blaise—a new development post-war. It was nice they found each other, Draco mused. He supposed they did spend quite a bit of time cooped up together before last year, and Ginny was more Slytherin than Gryffindor when it came down to it. He was happy Blaise was happy, and even gladder still that he was alive.

Harry was scratching his hands up nervously, a tic that he hasn’t seem to have shaken despite successfully completing his program over the summer—old habits died hard. Draco pulled his right hand apart from the left, squeezing it reassuringly. “Almost there, Haz,” he said.

Harry squeezed back. “I know,” he replied, “that’s why I’m so nervous.”

“Do you think the castle will look different with its new repairs?” Blaise asked.

“That didn’t even cross my mind,” Ginny replied. “I’d welcome it.”

There were murmurs of agreement, but silence fell upon them once more. The rest of the ride was quiet, and only when the carriage stopped did they begin to come back to life after being lost in their own thoughts surrounding the events of just a few short months ago.

Ron was so pale he looked gray as he shrugged his robes back on. Harry looked as though he wanted to run off into Hogsmeade, never to return again. Hermione and Draco shared a knowing glance, completely aware that they were handling the situation much more calmly than their counterparts.

Harry patted the thestrals in thanks as Draco tried to ignore the death horses. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were still in awe of them, having not seen them prior to the final battle. Harry glanced at them and grimaced. “Shall we?” Draco asked, offering his arm. He was trying to get more comfortable with public affection for Harry’s sake, who listed touch quite high on his love language list. Draco begrudgingly had become more accepting of the hugs and small touches his friends and family seemed so keen on post-war. _Bloody Gryffindors_ , he thought, _making me soft_.

Harry took Draco’s arm with a small smile, looking more like Sirius when he brightened up like that. “Let’s go.”

~

Everything was tense as they reached the steps of Hogwarts, the Great Hall coming into closer view. As they walked through the castle doors and approached the alcove leading to the opening feast festivities, Ron grinded to a dead halt before they could see what lied in wait for them.

His five companions stopped with him, sharing nervous glances. “Alright, Weasley?” Blaise asked.

Ron shook his head. “No, actually.” He made eye contact with Harry, who also looked as though he wanted to jump out of his skin. “I don’t think I can go in.” Harry walked forward and pulled Ron into a tight hug. The war made them all a bit touchy-feely as of late and it helped to be able to have physical touch to remind each other that they were still there together. Ron held him just as fiercely, gripping onto him like a lifeline. “I just know I’m going to see where it happened and I just—I just can’t,” he murmured into Harry’s neck.

Hermione looked towards Draco and gave him a quick nod, the two anticipating that this might happen. Draco moved into action. “Give me a minute, Ron. You don’t have to go in there.” He took a deep breath and marched into the Great Hall alone, making a beeline for the teacher’s table.

The Great Hall looked like it had never seen a day in battle, but the energy from that day was still palpable and filled Draco with dread. However, the malaise would not stop him from helping his friend.

Sirius and Remus looked on with concern as he approached. He would try to smile reassuringly at them but knew it would come off as a grimace. He walked up to Professor McGonagall, who seemed surprised to see him approach. The students were broken out into whispers as he inevitably caused a scene. If he could disappear on the spot, he would. “Is everything alright, Mr. Malfoy?” McGonagall asked, eyes crinkled in concern.

Draco frowned. “Not particularly, ma’am. Ron is having trouble coming to terms with being back after such a short time away. Is it possible for him to go to his dorm? He’s not doing well.” He glanced at Sirius who was now sitting up at attention, concern in his eyes. “I’m not sure if Harry is feeling well either.”

McGonagall nodded in understanding. “Yes, of course. 8th Years have their own dormitory this year to accommodate the extra students.”

“I can take them up,” Sirius said. “It’s no trouble and you need to stay here for the ceremony, Headmistress.”

McGonagall gave another nod. “That would be acceptable, Sirius, thank you.” She smiled at Draco. “Thank you for looking out for your friends, Mr. Malfoy. 10 points to Slytherin.”

Draco tried to smile, but his anxiety couldn’t let him feel glad for much at the moment. He walked out with Sirius back to his group as the whispers got louder among the students.

“Are you okay?” Sirius asked. “I know being back here can feel quite jarring.”

Draco nodded. “It’s definitely an uncomfortable feeling but I’ll be okay. I’m more worried about Harry and Ron—they’re a bit more sensitive to the malaise, it seems.”

“I know what you mean. Especially with Seeing abilities, the empathy can feel suffocating.” Sirius shuddered.

“Are _you_ alright?” Draco asked.

Sirius nodded. “I’ll be fine—it’s just going to be a long night.” They rounded the corner to meet the rest of the group. Ron was leaning against the wall, looking quite grey.

At the sight of his father, relief swept Harry’s features. “Hi, Dad,” he said, “those professor robes look great on you.”

Sirius grinned, looking down at his sapphire blue set. “Thanks, thought I’d bring a little colour to the Potions lab.” He looked over at Ron. “Alright, Ron?”

Ron winced. “Not really,” he responded.

“No worries. I’ll take you to your new digs. Anyone else want to join?”

“I’m going to go in,” Ginny said, looking determined. Blaise squeezed her arm reassuringly.

Harry sighed. “I think I’ll go in too, even though I’m not excited about it.”

“I’ll go up with you, Ron, if you want,” Hermione said.

Ron frowned. “Nah, it’s alright. I’ll see you later.”

“You’re sure?” Hermione asked.

Ron pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure—go enjoy the feast.”

~

The feast felt heavy for those whose last time in the castle was a time of loss and desperation. Harry felt himself regretting not going with Ron and his father when he had the chance. Ghosts in the more Muggle sense were littered throughout the hall. Harry couldn’t look in any direction without seeing a battle remnant, a fallen friend, a hurt companion. It was quite overwhelming.

Professor McGonagall preached unity, but the distinct lack of Slytherin upper years made the speech lose some of its intention. Blaise, Draco, and Nott were the only three of their year to return, and it looked like Nott was having a hard time simply existing, shunned to the end of the table.

Hermione had told Draco that Nott’s return to Hogwarts was part of his probation. Being so young when committing such atrocious acts allowed him to avoid jail time like his father, and placed him into a more “rehabilitation” program, where he would have to finish up school and do some work with the orphans of war to clear his name. He didn’t envy Nott—he’s been the Slytherin pariah and it is not a comfortable position to be in.

Harry kept taking glances at the doors of the Great Hall, half expecting Ron to return to the scene and wishing that he had just gone with him. The tension throughout the feast was palpable, with only the new First Years unaware of the ugliness that this room once held.

It was a spot of joy, however, to see the new First Years sorted. Time was moving on from May and old traditions were anew again. Despite Draco’s stress that his house would die out with the bigotry upholding it, there were some Slytherin’s added to the brood, many of which Draco could not determine blood lineage for. It looked like the houses would be changing as well, this time for the better.

When all was said and done, Sirius brought the 8th Years to their new Common Room. The Prefect dormitory was fashioned into their new home for the year, with the Common Room decked out in comforting purples and lavenders.

“You’ll notice,” Sirius announced, drawing silence from the group, “that there are five archways, each with their own symbol. The archway with the Hogwarts crest leads you to your rooms. This is the old Prefects wing and you will each have your own sleeping space, I’m sure you’re happy to learn.” There was a flurry of excited chatter at that. Draco wondered if they would give him his old room back. He also wondered if this was to help with his transformations, or if he would go somewhere with Remus for them. “Your names will be on the doors and your trunks have already been delivered to your room. The remaining archways, each with a symbol representing a House, will take you to your House Common Rooms.” Draco remembered this from his time here in Sixth Year. “Only House members will be allowed to use the archway to their respective Common Room and only Eighth Years have access to the archways. The only other way to obtain access to both this dorm and the House dorms is through invitation. Do _not_ abuse this privilege,” he ended with a wink.

“Are you our Head of House then?” Dean asked.

“I’m your Den Mother, yes,” Sirius replied. Harry grinned at that, which made Draco’s heart soar. “You’re all adults in the eyes of the Wizarding World. You don’t have the same restrictions as younger years—no curfew, no travel restrictions, et cetera. However, this means that you need to take care to attend to your lessons and use your time wisely. This is your chance to finish strong, finally in a time of peace. I know Voldemort has loomed over each of your heads since the beginning of your schooling. Now is the time to relax and dig into what you can learn unburdened.” His eyes landed softly on his son as he said those words, shining brightly as reality hit. “Your schedules are in your rooms, my quarters are just down the hall, and I’ll see you first thing on Monday.”

There were murmurs of thanks and they all broke off, ready to explore their new digs. Harry hugged his father tightly goodbye and turned to Draco. “I’m going to check on Ron. See you later?” he asked.

Draco nodded. “Of course.” Harry gave him a quick peck on the cheek and disappeared. Draco turned to find Blaise but he was already gone as well, probably hoping to find Ginny. His eyes landed on Theo, who looked like he would rather be swallowed up by the Giant Squid than be in this situation, and Draco couldn’t help but feel pity for him. Nott’s father wasn’t someone to cross and he didn’t doubt that Theo truly had any choice in his role in the war. Still, with the Dark Mark on his arm, he knew it would be difficult to exist in the world. Nott met Draco’s eyes and flinched and looked away. He could smell the anxiety rolling off of him, and it made Draco feel worse.

“He’ll find his way,” Hermione said, following his line of sight. Draco jumped, not realizing she was next to him. He had thought she had gone to see Ron as well.

“What does it say about me that I feel so bad for him?” Draco replied. “He tried to get Harry and the rest of us killed.”

“We’re all so young: it’s hard to imagine what any of us would do in the same situation.”

Draco shifted uncomfortably, knowing exactly what _he_ did, but also realizing that his mother had provided him with the support he needed to get out. Theo definitely did not have the same luck befall him. “You’re right, as always.” He smiled at her. “I’d approach but I know he’d bare his fangs: being a cornered snake is difficult.”

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. “Do you want to check on Ron with me?”

“Sure.”

The two made their way down the hallway to Ron’s room. It was the same space he had as a Prefect, meaning Draco was right next door. He spared a glance at his room as he knocked on his door: his trunk was already there waiting for him.

“Come in,” Harry called from inside.

The two were seated on opposite sides of Ron’s four-poster, Ron leaning back with his head resting on the headboard. He looked better, with color returned to his features. Harry was laying across the bottom of the bed on his back, his legs dangling over the sides. He still looked so small despite the summer of recovery: it would be an uphill battle.

“The room looks exactly the same, Weasley. Just like you left it,” he said, opting to sit on the floor cross-legged, resting his back against Harry’s legs.

“The rooms all look the same, Malfoy,” he responded with a laugh. “I’m sure yours is identical.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Well forgive _me_ for trying to make small talk.”

Harry laughed. “You’ve never been good at that: definitely not your strong suit. Your aristocrat is rusty from living with Remus and Dad for so long.”

“Hermione, are you going to let them bully me like this?”

Hermione sighed. “Oh Draco, they’re just telling the truth: you’re hopeless.”

They all laughed at that and settled into comfortable conversation.

While the year had many challenges ahead, things seemed to be alright for now, which is all they could ask for.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! Thanks to all of the kind words from the last fic in the series. I'm planning on this one being shorter, with another sequel going into their adult lives. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


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